Reduce screen time: Ten ways to say goodbye to your phone's dependence

To reduce screen time, I started to reduce my dependence on my iPhone. It's hard, but it can bring considerable benefits. Here are some of the things I stopped doing on my iPhone and why.

9. Reduce the reading volume of e-books

I like e-books as much as everyone else, but nothing is more pleasant than flipping through the pages of a brand new book (that amazing "new book smell"). Participating in a month or year-long reading challenge can take many forms, including a combination of e-books and paper books.

If you prefer ebooks, of course, your iPhone offers many options, including its native app, Apple Books. While I found third-party apps like Apple Books and Goodreads to be a great resource for discovering new books and recording my reading history, nothing can satisfy me better than a good paper book (preferably a book with a beautiful cover) I'm eager to read.

Switching to paper books also solved my problem of reading e-books on my phone in the dark, and I found myself doing this frequently, causing eye fatigue.

8. Stop using digital diary

I recently purchased a five-minute gratitude diary for my New Year’s program. This diary contains questions about gratitude, writing spaces for free thinking and wish lists. I've been completely away from the Journal app since I started journaling regularly.

Don't get me wrong: Apple's Journal app is one of the most useful self-care tools for iPhone. However, if you are looking for a specific topic in your diary (such as gratitude), a paper diary with print questions can help you better than a blank canvas diary. I also like to use my diary as a scrapbook and turn it into a small hobby, and sometimes I prefer it to a digital diary.

7. No longer rely entirely on iPhone to schedule

Your iPhone has many native tools that can help you manage your personal and work schedules, such as the Reminders and Calendar apps. Although I like using these apps to track my work and school tasks, I found another effective strategy that allows me to create a sense of urgency that these apps usually don't provide.

That is the "weekly schedule" I wrote and hung on my desk. Continuously viewing my tasks can help me focus and motivate me to work towards short-term goals.

To track long-term projects, I use Numbers or Google Sheets spreadsheets on my Mac so that I can track the completion status and tick it after I complete the task.

6. Farewell to clay and ASMR video

When I started to spend countless hours scrolling through apps like YouTube and Instagram to watch short videos and Reels with "satisfactory" clay and ASMR content (and, of course, mixed with other addictive content), I knew I have long needed digital detoxification. Such limitations mean I need an alternative, which is why instead of using my iPhone to satisfy my desire to watch satisfying videos, I engage in some real-life activities.

Entrepreneurship of activities such as diamond painting and puzzle games that do not require screen time will not only prevent you from falling into the trap of swiping videos; it will also improve your attention.

I also started listening to ASMR sounds instead of watching short videos through Spotify playlists dedicated to satisfying sounds. If you are trying to focus on a task, you can even try playing white noise or other background sounds like rain or streams to keep your attention steady with smart speakers.

5. Stop editing photos on your phone

App Store offers a wide selection of photo editing apps. Even native photo apps come with many tools. But I haven't looked back since I moved my photo edit from iPhone to Mac.

Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock.com While editing social media photos, retouching pictures and adjusting filters is easy to do on iPhone, advanced photo editing requires precision and concentration, I found my Mac The application on this provides better results. The larger screen allows me to see my actions better, and there is no doubt that the trackpad or mouse provides more precise input.

For my personal projects, I stick with apps like Lightroom and Photoshop to edit pictures, but you can browse through the Mac App Store and find the one that best suits your needs.

4. Not using meditation apps anymore

Another task I uninstalled from my iPhone was meditation. I've tried a lot of third-party meditation apps like Headspace and Balance, but one problem I'm facing is that once my meditation is over, I always pick up my phone to view distracting social media apps, which weakens The purpose of meditation.

While guided meditation is a good starting point, I have begun my own, custom-tempo meditation practices that do not require using a cell phone. This includes using meditation playlists through music streaming apps, as well as self-guided exercises in low white noise.

3. Create Spotify playlist on your computer

Using the Spotify iOS app has many exclusive features and benefits. But one reason I switch to the Spotify desktop app while working is apart from the distraction of my phone notifications, is that it's easier to create playlists and organize music.

Spotify's desktop app helped me get more efficient at work, as creating well-organized folders and custom-order playlists helped me differentiate my focused music from my normal playlists.

You can always use Spotify Connect to play music on any device connected to the same network.

2. No longer reading news, journals and magazines on your mobile phone

In addition to changing e-books to paper books, I also stopped using my mobile phone to read news, research journals and magazines. News apps and online publications like Apple News can be a great resource, but if you want to expand your reading habits or work on projects involving research, you may be vulnerable to advertising, notifications, or other sources that disrupt your work plan.

Going to a local library or subscribing to a local newspaper or magazine are some strategies that help me get paper reading materials and reduce my dependence on e-newspapers and e-magazines.

1. Stop playing mobile games

I have tried many games on the iPhone App Store, mainly puzzle games and brain teasers. But as part of my efforts to reduce my dependence on iPhone and screen time and to develop new hobbies, I started collecting and making 1,000 puzzles and blocks. These satisfy my desire to try to solve puzzles while helping me decorate my room with my finished pieces that I can frame and add to my favorites.

Games like Scrabble and the Daily Crossword can also come in handy if you try to reduce the time you spend on online brain teasers games and apps.

You can stop doing a lot of things with your iPhone, especially if you are looking for digital detox or reduce screen time. But a good starting point is to combine these efforts with effective iPhone tools and apps and transition slowly.

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